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CU Buffs signing day: Coach Mike MacIntyre adds 20 new faces

By Kyle Ringo, Buffzone.com

Posted:
02/06/2013 08:02:35 AM MST

Updated:
02/07/2013 09:41:55 AM MST

Bellermine quarterback Sefo Liufau (13) is brought down as he keeps the ball against Skyline in the first half of the 4A division high school state championship football game, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, in Tacoma, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Ted S. Warren)

When Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre was hired to replace Jon Embree two months ago one of the first items on his to-do list was evaluating recruits committed to the program and deciding whether to honor those scholarship offers.

In discussing his first recruiting class at an afternoon press conference today, MacIntyre said after watching film of those 10 recruits back in December, he decided that all 10 players who had committed to Embree's staff were Pac-12 caliber athletes and he would honor their offers. He also said it was the right thing to do.

"This is always like Christmas to me," MacIntyre said. "...When we got the job, the next day I called the 10 young men that were committed and the thing I'm really, really proud of is all 10 young men stuck. And they were bombarded."

Every member of Colorado's 2013 football recruiting class signed national letters of intent with the program before 10 a.m., removing any drama from national signing day in Boulder.

MacIntyre will have 23 new scholarship players in the program including two players who joined the program in January and three who were a part of last year's recruiting class but delayed their enrollment until this spring. A total of 18 recruits actually signed national letters of intent with the program today.

Among that group of 18 recruits is Sefo Liufau, the newest quarterback in the program. He is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound product of Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Wash. Liufau joins a crowded quarterback meeting room at CU where there are already six signal callers.

A true freshman quarterback has never started the season opener at Colorado, but MacIntyre didn't rule out that possibility in 2013 with Liufau.

"I haven't been on the field with everybody yet," MacIntyre said. "I'm excited about Sefo, but I don't want to put all that pressure on him and when he gets here, we'll see how he's progressing. But I think he has the body type and I think he has the intelligence and he played in a good program there, but we'll just have to wait and see how everything unfolds."

Two members of the class waited until today to make their college choices public.

Defensive back Chidobe Awuzie from Oak Grove High School in San Jose, Calif., chose CU over San Jose State and Washington State. Awuzie is one of 13 three-star prospects to commit to CU. The Buffs don't have a recruit in this class rated with more than three stars by Rivals.com.

Another defensive back, Tedric Thompson from Valencia High School in Valencia, Calif., also chose the Buffs this morning over offers from Minnesota, Washington State, UNLV and Fresno State.

Orange Lutheran's Colin Sutton (57) blocks for fullback Tavi Jimmerson (3) during the first half of Friday's game against Damien in La Verne.
(ARMANDO BROWN, Orange County Register)

Thompson could have joined his brother at Minnesota but decided to take his own path.

CU signed three California wide receivers who will add more speed and playmaking ability to a CU offense that lacked those traits last season after losing Paul Richardson to a knee injury in the spring. But Richardson and 2012 signee Jeff Thomas to the mix should make the biggest difference. Both have big-time speed and athleticism.

The three new wide receivers are Bryce Bobo from Charter Oak High School in Covina, Calif., Elijah Dunston from Chaminade High School in West Hills, Calif., and Devin Ross from Bishop Alemany High School in Altadena, Calif.

CU landed 12 recruits from California, three from Texas, three from Colorado and one from Washington.

CU signed five offensive linemen and five linebackers in this class. Both were positions of need in terms of adding depth. A year ago, the area of need was defensive line and CU signed nine defensive linemen in 2012. This year the program added just two defensive lineman, Timothy Coleman of Mullen High School in Denver and Jimmie Gilbert from A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas.

Phillip Lindsay, a running back from Denver South who suffered a knee injury during his senior season last fall, could play either running back or defensive back in Boulder. He would be one of two running backs in the class if that is where he ends up. The other running back signed today is Michael Adkins, a 5-10, 190-pound product of Helix High School in San Diego.

Alemany's Devin Ross #2 out paces JW North defenders on his way to the end zone for a touchdown pass reception during their game at Alemany High School in Mission Hills Friday, September 7, 2012. (Hans Gutknecht/ LA DAILY NEWS Staff Photographer) (Hans Gutknecht)

Two linebackers who signed with the program in January and enrolled in spring semester classes will be eligible to participate in spring ball, which starts March 7. They are Markeis Reed and Addison Gillam.

Gillam initially signed with MacIntyre at San Jose State last year and decided to grayshirt in 2012. When MacIntyre was hired at CU, Gillam decided to follow him to Boulder instead of remaining with the Spartans.

Rivals.com team rankings are likely to change over the next 48 hours, but this will be the lowest ranked class in years at CU. It's no surprise considering the Buffs are coming off a 1-11 season and haven't had a winning season since 2005.

Rivals.com ranked CU's class 69th in the nation and last in the Pac-12 Confernece as of 10 a.m.

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